3.

Hello everyone! Another long awaited update for this blog. Time sure flies! Before I know it, the 3-months of internship has ended, I have another 3 months before I finish my final semester....and it's Esmond and my 3rd year anniversary! Three whole years feels like a great achievement to me, and to repeat that age-old cliché, it certainly did not feel at all like three years! Three minutes, more like XD. 

We went out on the April 11th for a meal and a movie; Rio 2 opened on the same day and coincidentally, we went for the first Rio that same day three years ago. 

I'd heard a lot about Plan B and the atmosphere really drew me in. The food was disappointingly so-so; there wasn't as much variety as I'd wish and the sandwich I ordered seemed to be put together in a slapdash way despite its generous portion. The ambiance was lovely though. It was a fun day full of warm chats and recollections.

To the people who know me, I think they can agree that I'm not the most romantic of persons- I tend to get embarrassingly awkward discussing these things. I will say this: it's been an awesome three years- and it can only get better from here :) .

On a side note, I've been busy working on my final project for the final year exhibition looming just 6 weeks away. Will share some progress soon- right now it's just endless cups of coffee and doodlings. 

Happy Saturday, everyone! 

Wonderland ACEOs by Vera Ma

About a month ago, I joined a giveaway contest hosted by Singaporean illustrator Vera Ma, more commonly known as Lemon Shortbread. I was pleasantly surprised when she contacted me on facebook during a boring internship afternoon announcing that I'd won a set of three Wonderland ACEOs :).

I am a big fan of Alice in Wonderland, and an even bigger fan of Vera's amazing pop-art style. You can imagine my excitement when I unpacked the ACEOs when they arrived! The endearing characters of Wonderland are given a psychedelic makeover with Vera's signature vibrant colours and cute faces! What makes the ACEOs even more special is that they are printed on felt with a white stitched border. I've never collected ACEOs myself, but this set of three- along with two extra cards Vera added to the parcel as a gift- make a wonderful first-time experience.

If you want to snag something wonderful of Vera's for yourself, why not visit her etsy shop? You can also visit her blog and website for more visual eye candy (Note: this post is not a paid advertisement, I just love her work so much it seems a waste not to spread the joy!)

Thank you for the giveaway, Vera! Looking forward to seeing more beautiful works! Have a good weekend, everyone :).

Wallpaper Wednesdays: Double Peachiness

Welcome to the first post of Wallpaper Wednesdays of 2014! The end of this week brings us a special double event: Valentine's day of the western world and the eastern Valentine's, also known as Chap Goh Mei. Both lovely events fall on February 14th this year.

In conjunction with the double Valentine's, I came up with two lovey-dovey wallpapers to grace your devices! No, it doesn't come with hearts and cupids with shiny buttcheeks. I drew my inspiration from peaches as they are the perfect epitome of Valentine's day: soft, fuzzy, and oh-so-sweet! Also, peaches symbolize longevity and immortality in Chinese culture. So here's to a celebration of long lasting love and friendship all around! *throws confetti*. 

imac template by Jozef Mak

widescreen | 1920x1200

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iPad | 2048x1536

iPhone 5 | 1136x640

Lumia | 480x800

imac template by Jozef Mak

widescreen | 1920x1200

1600x1200

iPad | 2048x1536

iPhone 5 | 1136x640

Lumia | 480x800

There hasn't been a conditions for use in the previous wallpapers, but just for the record, you may use the wallpapers on this 'ere blog, past and future, for personal use only. If you like them enough to want to share them with your friends and family, thank you! But please only send them links to pages on my blog, do not repost onto your own sites. Please don't claim them as your own work, alrighty? And if you've any special wish to use the wallpapers for other purposes, don't hesitate to comment back or email me (of course, let me know before you actually do the deed and not after). Thanks for taking the time to read all the boring stuff!

Stay tuned to the next Wallpaper Wednesday, and hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's day :).

Chinese New Year Memories: Nga Ku

When preparations for Chinese New Year comes around, there are always recurring things on the to-do list: cookies and tidbits for the onslaught of guests, spring-cleaning, and decorating to name a few. But one of the tasks demands planning ahead; that is, in order for it to step up onto the stage when the big day comes, it has to be dressed and rehearsed a good while before.

This task, which my parents are excellent directors of, is the planting and cultivating of the arrowhead plants. To green-thumbed aficionados and botanists, this plant is called the sagittaria latifolia, to most laymen over here on this side of the world it is called 'nga ku'. In order to plant them, one has to place bulbs into shallow water. According to my parents, the bulbs have to be placed in sunny areas until they began to sprout shoots, which is a sign that they need to be taken away from direct sunlight or the leaves burn.

What my sister and I are assigned to is 'dressing' the 'nga ku', which obviously occurs after the 'nga ku' has reached its optimum beauty (glossy, bright leaves and strong stems that insist on reaching for the stars). We pinch off itty-bitty bits of red paper, wind them around the stems of the 'nga ku' and glue them to place. The result is a gorgeous contrast of bright green and red, perfect for jazzing up a living room corner or as a centre piece on the dining table.

I think the sight of a pot of 'nga ku' all decked in its red finery is one of the nicest sights of Chinese New Year. And like how the pointed leaves represent growth and continuous improvement, I hope this year will be better than the last for everyone! :) Have a happy Monday.

2014

Happy 2014 everybody! The merry month of January has already passed us by, and I hope that it was a wonderful month for everyone! For my part, the first month of the year brought me more experience as an intern in an ad agency. There were fun times and there were hard times, so I guess I hit 2014 off well ;) .

The Lunar New Year of the Horse is in full swing and ye gods, has it been busy! I had a time of it; yearly visits from family friends and relatives, constant house cleaning, and snacking on yummy homemade cookies! Will upload photos soon, so do look out for them. I'm also in the midst of preparing some double happiness for the much missed Wallpaper Wednesdays. It's going to be absolutely peachy!

See you in the next post, friends! Have a groovy Saturday night.

Internship Hiatus

I've been on a great deal of hiatuses this year, but I suppose that's a good thing, yes? Because that means real life has been eventful. Not working out the way I expected, maybe, but eventful nonetheless.
It may interest on or the other that I am interning at TBWA for 3 months (that's December to end of February next year). I've been here for two weeks now, and so far it's been a very learning experience, a sneak peak into the working world that was previously clandestine to me. I've met a lot of nice people, though I think my social awkwardness from years of being a recluse is now showing to be my Achille's heel. That being said, training from living frugally on campus has helped me to survive (lol).

Anyway, to all my other classmates who are now interning, good luck and stay healthy! Don't forget to drink lots of water and suck lots of mints, because the dry air in the office is akin to sandpaper to your poor throats. To everyone else, have a happy happy holiday season and see you soon!

Home Love

clockwise from top left: peacock bedhead peach, double carved timber bedhead, love chair mint

Have you ever experienced that heart-wrenching ache in your chest when you find something that is just so, so pretty? I know I have! And the rattan furniture from Family Love Tree gives me that one such feeling. Family Love Tree is an Aussie company that works with skilled craftsmen from Java, Indonesia to create wonderful pieces of furniture in the most gorgeous colours. They look just right for lounging in this tropical weather. Rattan furniture is fairly common in this part of the world, but I don't think I've quite seen anything this beautiful! Take a few minutes from your lunch break (or more, it's worth it!) to gasp and fall in love with all the pieces on their website. Have a happy Friday!

Sunny Smiles

It's been a long, long extended weekend. Being cooped up with nothing but a laptop and a mind like mine is depressingly suicidal. But, hey. At least I had chocolate! I bought this tin of chocolate from +M&S - it was part of their Best of British Summer. With was a wonderful wonderful surprise to prise open the lid and discover individual chocolate medallions wrapped in summer-themed foils: smiley suns, sandcastles and ice lollies! After the past few gloomy grey days, this little bit of sunshine certainly brightened up my day. And it's another happy thought that once I've finished all the yummy chocolate, I have a colourful tin to store things inside; I'm thinking of using it as a name card holder!

Hope the holiday has been put everyone else in a better mood! My consolation is that I have chocolate to keep me company, lol!

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I know it's probably a twee bit too early to send in Christmas wishes; after all it's still the beginning of November and you're probably busy as anything overseeing your elves and whatnot. But I just thought I'd get a headstart :P.

I think I maybe don't qualify to send in a wish (I have a vague feeling I'm on your 'NO GOLD, NO COALS, NO NOTHING FOR THIS CHILDREN!!' list), and also I may just be past my expiration date. But I still believe in you! I really do! . A.

I'd like to make a humble request for a real, live, happy furry Corgi please. With a bow on it's head between it's furry ears, like this:

Christmas Corgi by Chase Hoffman

You may be busy as anything come Christmas, but I'm sure with your magical awesomeness you will be able to conjure up a furry live ball of love and fling it my way (okay, don't fling it- it might get impaled in the the Christmas tree. Just place it gently down amongst the presents and address it to me). And make sure it arrives on Christmas! None of that Boxing Day nonsense, please (though earlier is not too bad too). It has to be Christmas so just in case it rains the way it did the past two Christmases, the Corgi's wonderful water-resistant coat will keep the raindrops at bay.

P.S: I'll make you milk and cookies. And peanut butter for the furry one. Please and thank you!

Zesty Sudsy Saturday~!

Earlier this year my parents embarked on an epic Europe trip. Through the goodwill and love only parents have for their children, they returned with a bar of lemon soap for me, bought when they stopped in a Munich shopping centre. And it is by far the largest bar of soap I have ever owned. Seriously, compared to a Body Shop soap bar that weighs in at only 99g, this one is a whopping 135g. It's almost like holding a block of butter that happens to sud up when it comes into contact with water...and smells lemony. I suppose it's maybe because Europeans are just generally larger compared to Asians, and thus need larger soaps?

It tickles me that the soap is so big it can't fit in the soap dish, and just somehow balances precariously on. And when I accidentally dropped it I was surprised it did not crack the bathroom tiles XD. Despite its size the soap does not have an overpowering scent. Rather it is light and airy, so you leave the bathroom carrying just a whiff of lemon freshness about you :).

I think it's interesting how something so small could have such a big difference coming from the other side of the world. Just one of those little things that never cease to surprise. Happy Saturday, everyone!

Wallpaper Wednesdays: Preview!

Wallpaper Wednesdays will continue next week, but I am so hyped up I must share a little peek of it today! Over the week long break, I enrolled on a quick class on Skillshare to learn how to create print-ready patterns out of hand drawn sketches. The class was quick and easy to follow; more on that next week, with the lovely new wallpaper, of course! Happy Wednesday!

Seeing The Sights

Hello all! It's been exactly a month since I returned from Global Classroom- time sure flies. The past weeks had me going on full steam trying to catch up with the rest of them. The month of Global Classroom was certainly stressful, but it had its rewards :) . For one thing, my group won overall best out of the four teams. Secondly, though we (Esmond and I) didn't get to visit all the events we wanted to, we still managed to go to several events for London Design Week. And best of all, we met so many wonderful people during our trip; new friends that made us fall in love with London all the more. Not to mention all the wonderful places we visited and the gorgeous weather! 

During the month, I frequently thought some events organized by the university were a bit of a chore, especially when we need to play the 'waiting' game with all the students who just don't ever come on time. And then there was the whole headache of group work. Still, you win some you lose some. And I had members on the team that did their work exceptionally well and made the job a tad easier. 

I'v learnt a lot from the trip, not just from the Global Classroom activities, but from going places and meeting new people and experiencing new things. Also, it may interest you that I walked more in that 5 weeks than I have in (possibly) half a year. But it was part and parcel of the experience; if someone asked me to do it all over again I would. But maybe with a lighter backpack.

My hiatus is over, folks! More updates coming your way! :)

Temporary Hiatus

Hello everyone,

Just wanna drop a line (or two) here to let you know I will be on a temporary hiatus of one month. I may post on and off if I find the time to, but there will be no Wallpaper Wednesdays for awhile. It's the beginning of the semester and it may interest you that I am now in London for my uni's Global Classroom session (yes, it's that thing all over again). I've just spent my first night here, and already I've been blessed to meet great people, wonderful weather, and a smooth journey. Here's hoping that keep up till I return to sunny Malaysia!

Check back here often for updates. Have a great week everyone 8)

Childhood Treasure: What A Doll!

Collected some goodies from my old place the other day, and I'd like to share this with all of you. My mother especially requested I brought back a few of her childhood trinkets. Among them was a 1950s/60s tin doll called Annie!

I find it incredible how my mother could actually preserve the box Annie came in, moving from one house to another when she was a child. Annie's dress is somewhat faded and spotty, and her hair has been sprayed into an unruly helmet (hairspray courtesy of my grandmother *ahem ahem* the things you used to do, mother), but on the whole she is absolutely perfect.

The best thing about Annie is that she serves tea! Plop her yellow teacup on her serving tray and she whirrs to life, moving and turning independently. Even better? She actually works, after all these years.

Happy Saturday everybody! :)

Wallpaper Wednesdays: Juicy Ideas!

Note: This is a backdated post, simply for appearance's sake. After all, Wallpaper Wednesdays wouldn't exactly be Wallpaper Wednesdays if it was posted on Friday, eh?

Hello hello hello! Yes, I am very much aware of my sudden disappearance from this here blog. I have been busy celebrating my sudden newfound (temporary) freedom. So much so I missed two weeks of my promised Wallpaper Wednesdays! But no longer, folks! My celebrations have come to an end; I shall now use the remnants of my semester break doing exactly what this week's wallpaper proclaims: create lots of juicy ideas!

I originally intended to submit this pattern in a weekly spoonflower competition, but sadly I missed the deadline. I like the concept too much to let it go, though! So here it is for you and for me :D. Slap it onto your desktop or your mobile and get those creative juices flowing. Or print it onto some nice cardstock and snail mail it to a friend!

By the way, you could try scanning the QR code with your smartyphones to get the wallpaper without having to go through the download-synch-with-mobile-device hassle. If it doesn't work, you can still download it via the link, same as always :D.

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iPhone 5

Nokia Lumia

Hope the creative juices are flowing for everyone! Happy (belated) Wednesday!

Wallpaper Wednesday: Cirrus

Hello everyone! My posts of June are so rare it feels as if the first Wallpaper Wednesday was only just yesterday. But here we go again with another pretty wallpaper, brought to you by yours truly :D.

Are any of you familiar with Bonobo? Not the primate pan paniscus, but Bonobo the musician. His recently released album entitled North Borders had a track in it named Cirrus. It was from there that I was inspired to create this pretty pattern. Bonobo's Cirrus was light and easy to listen to, absolutely perfect to cool down a hot afternoon. It reminded me of a tropical rainfall, and that was what I tried to capture through this pattern. I'm not sure about you, but the colour pattern just works for me. What do you think? Would a more sunset pink  be better? Or something more fluffy sky blue?

You can listen to Cirrus over here, on Bonobo's official Youtube. You won't regret, trust me :).

Click here to download the wallpaper size of your choice! You may have noticed that I've prepared a wallpaper for iPhone 5 now. Hope it floats your boat!

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iPhone 5

Nokia Lumia

Oh, and did you know, pan paniscus is also otherwise known as the pygmy chimpanzee. You learn something new everyday, eh?

Happy Wednesday!

Rush Hour

Hello everybody!

It's a busy busy week, and will probably be busy for the next two weeks. Yes, it's that time of the year again: the mad rush of end-of-semester! :D. It's all about wrapping things up and tying the last knots now. Yet again E3 is happening during the peak of stress levels; I only got to watch the Microsoft Briefing; and a few videos from the Ubisoft conference off Youtube. I haven't a side for the consoles, but the games lined up look interesting. What do you think? Is Assassin's Creed Black Flag anything to shout about? I found the E3 cinematic trailer a real disappointment, compared to the glory of AC3. Watchdogs looks interesting, and so are a few other titles. 

arrr, tis a pirate's life for me
via ubisoft

When I watched the trailer and they were announcing the 'greatest pirates that ever lived' I couldn't help but wonder...where's Jack Sparrow?

via tumblr

Another surprise is EA's announcement of Mirror's Edge 2, a prequel to the original story. I just played the game earlier this year, and I enjoyed it very much. One good thing about playing games way pst their release date is that you don't have to wait as long as the hardcore gamers for the next game! ;D. I hope they do away with the vector- cartoon cutscenes; although it was interesting, I didn't think it suited the flow and concept of the game. And hopefully EA has outgrown abrupt endings- that last one really ticked me off :P.

via the awesomer

I have a project or two planned up for the semester holidays, so probably no chance of playing any new games. I realize I need to seriously buck up and build an outstanding portfolio now. There are also so many things I want to do in terms of making some spare cash for later this year, so hopefully all that can come to being. The semester was fun while it lasted, but I think I'm just about ready to take a break and focus on something more personal, before the next semester comes about.

This may be the last post I push up for the month, but stay tuned to some random updates! And check back next Wednesday when Wallpaper Wednesday comes back with something new for your devices :D. TGIF everybody!

Wallpaper Wednesday: Summer Popsicles!

Hello again, folks! I'm back with happy news. I've been dabbling in pattern making (it's fun, try it sometime!) and really, I can't explain the happy feeling I get when I come up with something that looks pretty, over and over! It's a bit of a hit-and-miss thing right now, as I'm just trying out whatever I fancy, but I'm still loving the results.

I've also just recently discovered the magical paint/pencil/blob paint tool in Adobe Illustrator, which is mad because I've been using AI for many a semester and I've only found the tool now. I guess we all learn something new everyday :D. The best part of the tool is that I can now use my tablet a lot more, and still produce happy vector lines with a more personal touch. Yay!

So because I am happy with the results of my recent playing at patterns and my discovery of the paint tool in AI, I've decided to make a regular segment here on my blog (a first!). I think it's a good way to encourage me to not slack off blogging, even during my busier moments. Wallpaper Wednesday will start off bi-weekly (ever first and last Wednesday of the month), where I will post up device-ready wallpapers for YOU! 8). You can now have burst of happiness every mid-week or so ;).

popsicle

This fun and cheerful pattern is exactly what you need for your device! Perfect for the incredibly hot weather these past few days. Have it on your desktop, your mobile phone, or even print it out on paper and tape it to your wall, or wrap up summer gifts for friends! The possibilities are endless 8D.

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1136x640 (iPhone 5)

800x480 (Nokia Lumia)

If you like it enough to share, please do so! But do link back here and give credit where it's due, eh? ;).

Do you have a particular resolution you'd like to have? Let me know and I can whip it up nice and easy :D. Have a happy happy Wednesday!

Greeting Cards by Dear Hancock...

dear hancock

Absolutely gorgeous greeting cards by Dear Hancock. I am so in love with their style! And there are heaps of designs, it's so so hard to choose a favourite. Is it possible to love them all? ;).

Adorable Animals Ad!

If you're having a rough start to the week, watch this advertisement from New York Lottery Sweet Million. I have no affiliation to the lottery, neither do I agree to rudely waking adorable Corgis, but this is just cute!

Don't you just want to hop into your jim-jams and cuddle up with the adorable animals?

It's a new month, with new things to do and new things to look forward to! Happy Toosday everybody!